Stuttgart Christmas Market

Over 330 Years of Tradition

The Stuttgart Christmas Market is one of the oldest and largest Christmas markets in Europe. First documented in 1692, it has passed through the city center of Baden-Württemberg's state capital for over three centuries. It is organized by in.Stuttgart Veranstaltungsgesellschaft. The 2026 edition runs from Wednesday, November 25, to Wednesday, December 23, 2026 — for almost a month, Stuttgart's city center transforms into one of Germany's most atmospheric Christmas stages.

250 Stalls on Four Squares

The market area extends over four central squares:

• Schlossplatz — Ferris wheel, main stage, and large Glanzlichter installation in front of the New Palace
• Marktplatz — Stalls in front of the historic town hall with a carillon
• Schillerplatz — Christmas stalls between the Old Castle, Schiller Monument, and Collegiate Church
• Karlsplatz — Arts and crafts and stalls along the historic city wall
• Courtyard of the Old Castle — Concert stage with a Renaissance backdrop

Around 250 festively decorated wooden stalls offer mulled wine, gingerbread, cookies, cinnamon stars, chestnuts, sausages, Swabian specialties (Maultaschen, Hutzelbrot, Springerle), crafts, wooden toys, incense smokers, ceramics, candles, and Christmas tree decorations. Many stalls have been family-run for generations.

Fairy Tale Village, Concerts, and Glanzlichter

Program highlights:

• Children's Fairy Tale Land — dedicated area with carousels, fairy tale figures, craft activities, and visits from St. Nicholas for families
• Concerts in the Courtyard of the Old Castle — daily classical, Christmas, and choral music (Stuttgart Hymnus Choir Boys, brass ensembles, choirs)
• Collegiate Church — tower brass players and festive church concerts
• Glanzlichter Stuttgart — spectacular light installations, light projections, and light art throughout the city center
• Ferris wheel on Schlossplatz — view over the festively illuminated Stuttgart
• World Christmas Circus and Holiday on Ice complement the city's Christmas program

Opening 2026

The festive opening of the 2026 edition will take place on Wednesday, November 25, at 6 PM in the Renaissance courtyard of the Old Castle. Lord Mayor Dr. Frank Nopper will give the opening speech, accompanied musically by the Sinfonisches Jugendblasorchester JuBo, the Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben, and the Popchor vom Musikwerk Stuttgart. The evening will be hosted by presenter Jürgen Hörig (SWR Fernsehen).

3.5 Million Visitors Per Year

With 3.5 to 4 million visitors annually, the Stuttgart Christmas Market is one of the most visited Christmas markets in Europe — on par with Dresden, Nuremberg, and Cologne. The market attracts guests from all over Germany as well as from France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and increasingly from Asia. The atmosphere between the palace, the collegiate church, and Königstraße — Stuttgart's boulevard — is unique: compact, festively lit, culinarily rich, and musically dense.

Stuttgart as a Christmas City

The state capital Stuttgart (around 633,000 inhabitants) is not only the headquarters of global corporations Mercedes-Benz and Porsche but also one of the most historically important residential cities in southern Germany. The New Palace (Rococo, 18th century) on Schlossplatz and the Old Palace (Renaissance, 16th century) form the monumental backdrop of the Christmas market. Visitors to Stuttgart in Advent often combine the Christmas market with a stroll along Königstraße (one of Europe's largest shopping streets) and a visit to the Markthalle, the Mercedes-Benz Museum, or the Porsche Museum.